


A Perfect Gentleman

by daisyisawriter91



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Balthazar is a nice guy, Dancing, Dorks, First Dates, Fluff, Henry Winchester Is A Walking Embodiment of Panic, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Sam is clueless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 17:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13416435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyisawriter91/pseuds/daisyisawriter91
Summary: Henry isn't so good at love. Balthazar is a wild party-goer. At least, these are the conclusions Henry has drawn. Maybe he's wrong.





	A Perfect Gentleman

Henry Winchester was not good with romance. He never had been and he never would be.  
When he was seven, he’d attempted to impress a girl he thought he liked by giving her a lizard. It was an extremely rare type, especially in North America, and he thought it was the most amazing thing ever, so he was _certain_ she’d like it. When he attempted to give it to her, however, she had screamed and batted it out of his hand. It had fallen in a river and drowned. He’d cried for an hour.  
And it hadn’t stopped since then. Henry’s incompetence in love had only doubled. He’d had a girlfriend in high school and had taken her to a school dance. But because Henry had been horribly nervous and flustered, he’d been a horrible dance partner. Usually he was quite skilled, but that night was remarkably awful. His date had spent the entire night dancing with someone else.   
Even the woman he married, he could never be fully intimate with her. But that wasn’t fully his fault. He couldn’t help the fact that he was gay in the ‘40s and ‘50s. He just had to pretend to be in love with his wife, and he _did_ love her. Just not in the proper way.  
What was the most remarkable thing about Henry’s romantic failures is that, somehow, after all these years of his life, he’d met someone who found them _endearing_.   
Balthazar was remarkable in more ways than one. Firstly, he was a millennia old angel, but didn’t act it. He partied like the world was ending, he had a scathing wit that always made Henry chuckle, and he flirted so casually with everyone that it slightly bothered Henry. It was an irrational jealousy that developed at the same time as Henry’s crush.   
But what was most amazing about Balthazar was that he found Henry _adorable_. He thought that Henry’s stammered attempts at flirting that hadn’t improved at all in his months in the 21st century delightful. He enjoyed Henry’s dated language and thought it was cute when Henry didn’t recognize a modern object. He _liked_ Henry.   
Henry stood in front of the mirror, nervously fiddling with his black tie.  
“Grandpops, will you calm down?” Sam said, sitting on the bed just behind Henry.  
Henry had been living in the bunker for several months, now. The appearance of an angel (Castiel, whom he’d grown quite fond of) prevented him from death at Abbadon’s hand. In that moment of near-death, Henry’s priorities had become clear.   
It broke his heart to leave John alone, but he realized his grandsons needed him more. He couldn’t change the past. But he could help make his family’s future better. The day Sam and Dean had begun to call him ‘Grandpops’ was among the happiest of his life.   
Not long after he’d begun living in the bunker he was always meant to be living in, the angel, Balthazar had appeared. Sam and Dean had been startled. Apparently, Balthazar had been dead before then. But the minute he met Henry, he began flirting _mercilessly_. Henry was gone within the week.  
A week ago, Balthazar had seen Henry’s awkward attempts at asking Balthazar out, and beat him to the punch. Now, it was the night of the date. and Henry had never been more nervous in his life.  
“B-But what if I mess it up?” Henry asked, turning to Sam. “Is my tie straight? Does it match my suit?” Henry asked, in a single breath. Logically, he knew that his tie matched his black blazer and red dress shirt, but his nerves had forced his logic out hours ago.  
“Yes and yes. You look sharp, Grandpops, just play it cool.” Sam said, soothingly.  
“How do I do that?” Henry questioned. Sam blinked.   
“You, just, uh…just be yourself. Everything will work out in the end.” Sam replied, positively.  
“But what if ‘myself’ is an anxiety-ridden bookworm with the social skills of a turtle?” Henry asked.  
“Well, um…just wing it. Balthazar probably knew what he was getting into.” Sam had a smile on his face.   
“That isn’t very helpful.” Henry muttered. He turned and strode out of the room, biting his lip, Sam at his heels.   
He walked to the library where Dean was sitting with a beer, feet up on the table.  
“Should I have gotten flowers?” Henry wondered aloud. Dean snickered.  
“For Balthazar? Yeah, right.” He mumbled.  
“Dean, please, you’re not making this easier.” Henry said.  
“Why’re you so nervous, anyway? Balthazar isn’t gonna care.” Dean said.  
“I haven’t felt like this since I was fifteen. I don’t want to mess this up by being…me.” Henry concluded, lamely.  
“All I’m saying is, don’t get your hopes up. He’s probably just trying to get you into bed. I don’t wanna see you get hurt, is all.” Dean insisted.  
“I can take care of myself, Dean. It’s not my hopes that I’m worried about.” Henry confessed, but didn’t elaborate. He couldn’t, as there was a knock at the bunker door.  
Henry shared a quick, confused, glance with his grandsons before pulling out his gun and stalking towards the door, Sam just behind him. Dean picked up a katana as he followed Sam and Henry.  
Henry opened the large door with some difficulty, and was surprised to see Balthazar standing there.   
Unlike his normal v-neck and blazer, he’d put on a proper suit with a vest and tie. He held a bouquet of lilies in his hand and smiled at Henry. Henry immediately put away his gun.  
“Balthazar! I…I thought you would fly in.” Henry exclaimed. Balthazar raised a playful eyebrow.  
“And disrespect proper date etiquette? I have more class than that, my dear.” Balthazar replied. Henry’s face heated up by at least four degrees. Balthazar glanced behind Henry to see Sam and Dean with their weapons still drawn. “I see your grandsons approve of me.” Balthazar drawled, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.  
Henry turned around to face the hunters.   
“Please put the weapons away, boys.” Henry pleaded. Evidently, they saw the sincerity in his eyes, because they put their weapons away. “Thank you.”  
Henry turned back to Balthazar and smiled, sheepishly. Balthazar was staring at him, blankly.  
“Is everything alright?” Henry asked, worriedly. Balthazar physically shook himself and gave a half-smile.  
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Balthazar blustered. He seemed to suddenly remember that he was carrying flowers and handed them to Henry. Henry smiled at them.  
“Thank you. I’ll just…” He trailed off.  
“I got it.” Sam said. He took the flowers and hurried away, almost rushing away from the scene.  
“Have fun. Don’t hurt my grandfather.” Dean said. And with that, Balthazar and Henry were alone.   
“Well, I…” Henry started, then laughed, nervously. Balthazar held out his arm, as Henry had once done for the ladies he’d dated. Henry threaded his arm through Balthazar’s arm.  
A second later, Henry felt a _whoosh_ in his stomach. They were flying.  
It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough to make Henry feel a wild elation. When his feet touched the ground again, he gave a breathy laugh. He looked over at Balthazar, who was positively _beaming_.  
Henry took a full stock of where he was, stepping away from the angel.  
It was a city, that much was certain. Lights gleamed and cars could be heard below. The pair were standing on a rooftop, entirely lit by fairy lights. It was just the two of them. The thought was a bit nerve-wracking, but having just flown, Henry had a bit of a confidence boost.  
“Where are we?” Henry asked.  
“Ah, we are in New York, on the top of a building that was, coincidentally, built in the same year you were born.” Balthazar informed.  
“I sincerely doubt that was coincidental.” Henry teased.  
“You’re quite right.” Balthazar agreed with a smile. “Dinner?” He proposed. Truthfully, the butterflies in Henry’s stomach made him wince at the very idea of food. Balthazar read his expression. “I see. Straight to the main event, than.” Balthazar snapped his fingers. Soft music began to filter onto the rooftop. Henry vaguely recognized the songs being played. They were from his era.  
Balthazar held out his hand and beckoned Henry to the middle of the rooftop. Henry took Balthazar’s hand and was instantly swept into a dance.   
“I didn’t think you were capable of such a tame date.” Henry teased, nerves slowly fading away.  
“I _am_ capable of being a perfect gentleman, you know.”   
“I’m not quite sure I believe that.”  
“Than let me prove it.”   
That night, when their near-perfect date concluded, Balthazar flew Henry home and departed at the door with only a peck on the cheek as a goodbye, and a promise to see him again. Henry walked inside the bunker, entirely giddy, and completely ignored Sam and Dean. He would talk to them when he regained control of his rapidly beating heart.  
Maybe Balthazar was more of a gentleman than Henry had first thought. And maybe Henry wasn’t as much of a disaster at love as he’d come to believe. At least, not with Balthazar.  
Maybe, just maybe, this was the one that would stick.


End file.
